As China is scheduled to review -- and possibly pass -- the "anti-secession law" next month, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislative caucus yesterday said that it is considering a legislative resolution to voice the nation's opposition to the move.
"Because the legislature is the nation's highest representative voice of the people, we thought it would be feasible for the lawmaking body to make a resolution telling China that we are strongly against it," TSU caucus whip Lo Chih-ming (
Lo said that he plans to file a motion at the plenary legislative session on Tuesday, and then start collecting signatures from lawmakers. While at least 30 signatures are required for a petition to be valid, Lo said that he hopes to garner half -- 113 -- of the lawmakers' signatures.
In a bid to solicit support from all legislative caucuses, Lo said that he will personally visit caucus leaders from across party lines, while other caucus members will visit their counterparts.
While the final wording of the caucus' proposition has not yet been settled, Lo said that it will stress Taiwan's sovereignty and lambaste the anti-secession law.
"We'd like to address the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign state and is not part of China, and that China's laws do not have power here," he said. "We'd also like to criticize the anti-secession law for severely sabotaging peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region."
The caucus would like to send out the message that what China plans to do will only lead to a more remote relationship between Taiwanese and Chinese people and that the law will infringe on freedom and democracy, he added.
For fear that the caucus may not garner sufficient support for the petition, Lo urged Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Lo's proposition, however, was shrugged off by Lin Chin-hsing (
"I will not endorse the TSU's proposal, and I believe other members of my caucus will not like the idea of taking provocative actions to undermine the amiable atmosphere with opposition parties," Lin said.
Branding the TSU's planned move as "a political gambit to court the die-hard pro-independence electorate," Lin said that the DPP, as the ruling party, must look at a bigger picture during its decision making process.
"What a ruling party must do is to have the interests of the entire nation in mind, rather than just one specific party," he said.
"It is a fact that the pan-green alliance does not enjoy a legislative majority. It is only to the advantage of the country and the people that we seek reconciliation and cooperation with opposition parties, rather than continuing with political bickering and confrontation," Lin said.
Echoing Lin's opinion, PFP lawmaker Chou Hsi-wei (
For example, Chou said, Article 2 of the National Security Law (
The reason that he will not endorse the TSU's proposal, Chou said, is simply because he does not trust the TSU.
"I've seen, over the past years, so many proposals the TSU presented that are outrageously extreme and self-promoting," he said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS